In Farid al-Din Attar's 'The Conference of the Birds', the narrative of Ali (Morteza) whispering his secrets into a well—which subsequently filled with blood—is used as a rhetorical proof of his spiritual purity. Attar argues that Ali's soul was so completely absorbed in Divine Truth ('gharq-e haq') that he was incapable of harboring the sectarian prejudice ('ta'assub') or malice attributed to him by detractors. This concept emphasizes that Ali's character should be understood through his spiritual proximity to God, which transcends historical sectarian conflicts.

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## Original content
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مصطفا جایی فرود آمد به راه 
گفت آب آرند لشگر را ز چاه
رفت مردی بازآمد پر شتاب 
گفت پر خونست چاه و نیست آب
گفت پنداری ز درد کار خویش 
مرتضی در چاه گفت اسرار خویش
چاه چون بشنید آن تابش نبود 
لاجرم چون تو شدی آبش نبود
آنک در جانش چنین شوری بود 
در دلش کی کینهٔ موری بود
در تعصب می زند جان تو جوش 
مرتضا را جان چنین نبود خموش
مرتضا را می مکن بر خود قیاس 
زانک در حق غرق بود آن حق شناس
هم چنان مستغرق کار است او 
وز خیالات تو بی زارست او
گر چو تو پر کینه بودی مرتضی 
جنگ جستی پیش خیل مصطفی
او ز تو مردانه تر آمد بسی 
پس چرا جنگی نکرد او باکسی
گر به ناحق بود صدیق ای عجب 
او چو بر حق بود حق کردی طلب
پیش حیدر خیل ام المؤمنین 
چون نه بر منوال دین جستند کین
لاجرم چون دید چندان جنگ و شور 
دفع کرد آن قوم را حیدر به زور
وانک با دختر تواند جنگ کرد 
داند او سوی پدر آهنگ کرد
ای پسر تو بی نشانی از علی 
عین و یا و لام دانی از علی
تو ز عشق جان خویشی بی قرار 
واو نشسته تا کند صد جان نثار
از صحابه گر شدی کشته کسی 
حیدر کرار غم خوردی بسی
تا چرا من هم نگشتم کشته نیز 
خوار شد بر چشم من جان عزیز
خواجه گفتی چه فتادست ای علی 
آن تو یخنی نهادست ای علی

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## English translation
Mustafa alighted at a place on the way;
He said to bring water for the army from the well.
A man went and returned in haste;
He said, 'The well is full of blood and there is no water.'
He said, 'Perhaps from the pain of his own state,
Morteza spoke his secrets into the well.'
When the well heard, it could not bear that intensity;
Inevitably, when you arrived, there was no water.
One in whose soul there is such a fervor,
How could there be malice for an ant in his heart?
In fanaticism, your soul seethes with rage;
Morteza's soul was not silent in such a way.
Do not measure Morteza by yourself,
For that Knower of Truth was drowned in the Truth.
He is likewise still immersed in the Task,
And he is weary of your fancies.
If Morteza were as full of malice as you,
He would have sought battle before Mustafa's company.
He was far more manly than you;
So why did he not wage war against anyone?
If Siddiq were in the wrong—how strange—
If he were in the right, he would have demanded his right.
Before Haidar, the host of the Mother of the Believers,
When they sought vengeance not according to the way of religion,
Inevitably, when he saw such war and commotion,
Haidar repelled those people by force.
And he who is able to fight with the daughter
Knows how to make an advance toward the father.
O son, you have no trace of Ali;
You only know the letters Ayin, Ya, and Lam of Ali.
You are restless out of love for your own soul,
While he sits ready to sacrifice a hundred souls.
If any of the Companions were killed,
Haidar the Valiant grieved greatly
That 'Why was I not killed as well?
My precious soul has become base in my eyes.'
The Master said, 'What has happened, O Ali?
That yakhni of yours is ready, O Ali.'

حکایت گفتن مرتضی اسرار خویش را با چاه و پر خون شدن چاه / The Tale of Morteza Telling His Secrets to the Well and the Well Filling with Blood

In Sufi pedagogical thought, spiritual leadership is defined by the total absence of 'mayl' (personal inclination or bias). This concept is frequently illustrated through the historical examples of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, whose refusal to establish dynastic succession is cited as logical proof of their impartiality. Understanding this principle of impartiality as a defense against 'ta'assub' (sectarian fanaticism) is a prerequisite for more advanced mystical interpretations of authority, such as the selfless 'outward rulership' attributed to Imam Ali in Rumi's poetry.

The Concept of Spiritual Impartiality in Islamic Leadership

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The Refutation of Sectarian Prejudice Through Ali's Spiritual Secrets in the Conference of the Birds

In Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the narrative of Imam Ali and the defeated adversary addresses a potential paradox regarding Ali's political power. If Ali has truly transcended physical desires and views death as a joyous "feast" and "narcissus-bed," why would he accept the earthly title of Caliph? Rumi clarifies that a spiritual master who has "rooted out the body" harbors no greed for emirship or worldly dominion. Instead, Ali's assumption of leadership is strictly an outward form, undertaken solely to guide other commanders in the ways of justice. By taking on the role of ruler, Ali aims to infuse "rulership with another soul" and cause the "palm of the caliphate to bear fruit." This passage illustrates the Sufi ideal that true, just leadership can only be exercised by one who is completely detached from the allure of worldly power.

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